Removable dental bridgework



Dec. 4, 1928,

E. KELLNER ET AL REMOVABLE DENTAL BRIDGEWORK Filed Aug. 16, 1927 m W M Patented Dec. 4,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD KELLNER AND WALTER M. GOLDWYN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

REMOVABLE DENTAL BRIDGEWORK.

Application filed August 16, 1927. Serial No. 213,258.

of natural teeth to overcome the tipping stress. I t

Another object of the invention is to provide in a removable bridgework ofthe charimproved construction oi" retentive attachments, which allow some de gree of mobility yet retain the denture in place as a supporting and retaining abutacter described, an

I me nt, said attachment providing slight resiliency to saiddenture to permit it to respond to vibratory as wellas masticatory forces to the same degree as the natural teeth.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved removable denture of the character described having attachments, no part thereof shall be required to extend within the roots of the natural teeth used as abutments. and which avoid as much as possible mutilation of the coronal sections of said teeth, thus permitting the preservation of the pulp and eliminating possible ill effects due to the devitilization thereof. I

Still another object of theinvention is to provide in a removable bridgework of the clmracter described, improved retentive attachments, which during mastication tend. to tighten the enlockment anchorage of the bridgework in position due to a wedging action. said attachments being constructed to facilitate centering the detachable parts for mounting the bridgework.

A still further ob 'ect of the invention is to provide an improved denture of the character described, comprising few and simple parts, which shall require the ordinary dental skill in the investment thereof, form a compact and rugged yet neat and regular appearing structure, which shall be readily mounted and removed. relatively inexpensivc to manufacture, and practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects and advantages will in part be obvious, and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists in f etures ()if construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter discussed of which a scope of the application wiil be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which several possible embodiments of the invention are shown,

Figs. 1 and 2 are front elevation and bottom plan views, respectively, of teeth in the maxillary region. showing the investment of a removable dental bridgework embodying i nvcn ti on.

Figs. 3 and i are cross sectional views of the improved removable bridgework taken on lines 33 and 4-4: in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

Fig. 5 1s a side elcvational view of the im proved bridgeworkremoved from its mounted position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the female attachment member removed from its installed position. a

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing a modified construction embodying invention.

Fig. 8 is an elevation al view of an improved form of the bridgework having a spring rctaining means.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing another improved form of bridgework provided with a spring retaining means extending from the shank of the male attachment member.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bridgework shown in Fig. 9, removed front its mounted position.

Fig. 11 is a front elevational view oi a modified construction ofthe male attachment member embodying the invention.

F lg. 12 is a cross sectional view taken on line l212 in Fig. 11.

Fig. '13 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of the female attachment member for cooperating with the male member shown in lfigsflland 12, and

Fig. 14 shows perspective views of the male and female members before being cut to a required size. I

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a portion of a maxillary region of a patients mouth showing the natural teeth 'l." and a removable hridgewm k or artificial invention secured denture l1. emhedying the 12 and a molar in place between a hicurspid 'tiai'pid and molar, respectively, er;-

igh the gum, or flesh nicznlnaee t} areolar process" 1 (indicated in in the well understood manner.

illarv region between is shrunk due to ahol the av olar ridge thus forming ltSSlOl. i which is seated a Sttiiitllljy' n s ddl ll serving as the base of the nude o'l any suitahle metallic or non-metallic, and prel'erahl made ot a moldahle suhstanee such as gold, platinum. alloys or rubber compounds.

F, t and the lal ill des, resp may ht pl f'l fltl-fltl to any u aaid :hsorhed alveolar hridge .fllltl I counteractn anv tendency ror he ln'idgework to lie displaced. li-aid extensions are shaped to coni'orm to the contour e deriving pertains of the gt (it, t

extension ll" being made longer ethan shown in Figs. 1 and 8. and nu tirel ountteu it desired to conceil t ie n rial lei-min the saddle.

rein said Space poi ions ll" extending and 14- saddle between said ext nsions Lil form a setting tor rec iving an artificial teeth 15, which replaces the missing molar. Said portions are permanenti secured against the opp-mite side walls 15 of the th 17) and a pin 1t? may he p 'ovided ior reeaioreing the anchorage oil the teeth 15 to said saddle, as is clearlv shown in Figs. 2- and- 11. i

Cue dominant the provision oi. I re aining and l'eature oil the invention is .lllPltJYQtl attacnments 17 for aipporting the hridgework in position in srcn a manner as to avoid as much as it mutilation oi the coronal sectiona l2" and 13" ot the natural teeth 12 and l -l used as alriti s. there} preserving the ninatin hle the 1 e l pulps and elii pos ilile ill etl'eets due to the tltl'll'lllLltit :1 of said teeth. Said at taclnnent comprise; interlocking male and le memhers l8 and lil. respetaivelv. of construct and although here the .t\ \k female memhers are shown incorporated in the ahnttmg teeth and the male in llllJGl's associaied with the hriue'eworlr, it is to he understoed J; a reverse arr: ngement may be employed.

Each male member 18 is preferably mad e of material of a single thickness tree from slots or other out portions and is eonsetpienth r ged to withstand all stress and strains to "which the attachment may he subjected. aid nicinher 18 has a shank i8 projecting out: from the tooth side wall 15-", adjacent to crown of the tooth 15. said shank heing ecured in any suitahle manner ll soldering or brazingto a saddle portion l-l". The tree end of the shanl: preterahly is terminated a triangular wedge shaped wing h i whieh detachahly engages wit a member 19. The latter may he tivel v thin material forming to receive the wing lug 15". Y a slot lll to permit the i c l8 slidahlv tittii'ig the lug lo" See Fi Qand 3.

.lly secure said 'l'emale members in position, the are emlrdded in suitalilv shallow inlays it) provided in the t1 a coronal sections 12 and 13, as clearly shown in Fig. -l.

The practical application of the invention is now apparent, alter emhedding the female members if) in the coronal sections ol the hieuspid l2 and the molar 13 in alignment to receive the male memhers 1i) and construct;- iag the reniovahle denture ll as descrihed above and ho\ving in the drawing. the lugs it)" are simply inserted in the sockets 19. its the saddle contacts with the; gums, said lugs wedge themselves in the sockets due to their triangular shaped tightening the interconneetion ot the attachment members therel'tn'e heing self-adjusting in this respect and elimi nat ng' periodical tightening to correct looseness of the interconnection. Mastication cannot dislodge the bridgeworl; since the force acting against the crown ot the tooth alv ys tightens the wedged interloelnnent o t said members. This novel term at attachn'lent facilitates mounting and rem-o 'al of the denture in a convenient manner. In monnting the denture. the sn'ialler or pointed end of the male member can he easily inzerte l into the relatively large opening oi the socket. and on partially \vithd awing the male memher 'l'rom said socket. the attaele ment loosened. so that the hridgework is readily removed. lit it isnecessarv to adjust the bridge vork the edge portion of the lugs need simply be trimmed a little with sand paper or ground in the well-umlerstood manner.

The use (it triangularshaped attaclnncnt 1llt'!'.l--

hers also permit making a praeti :al structure which is relativel Shal low since the outward l v tlared end may he made relativelv wide to provide a substantial body to give a strong support to theln-idgeworlq. and conseqtunitlv am he applied lav cutting tl e 1 ast vital pa rt; of the coronal teeth e thins adjacent to the crowns. The narrow end requires the least cutting,- thus conserving the more vital parts of the tooth structur adjacent the cervix.

In Fig.- 7 is shown a modified construction of attachments embodying the inv'ention. Here. the female socket memhers 11$) which receive the male memhers 118 instead of haring pockets in the socket members 17 described above, are provided with outlet paslit) , are formed with spring extensions or tongues vided to extend laterally from the shank 318*;

sages or drains 119 communicating the bottoms of the socket members 119 with the exterior side of the teeth 12 and 13 to facilitate the removal of any food that'may accumulate in the sockets.

Supplementary means to prevent loosening of the bridgework due to accidental jarring, particularly in the maxillary region, may be provided when necessary, using the construction shown in Fig. 8. The wing lugs 218 of the male members in this construction 218 which areadapted to frietionally contact with the walls of the socket members for retaining the bridgework in position supplementing the wedging interconnection of the lugs 218 in the sockets.

Another form of supplementary spring retaining means embodying the invention is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Here one or more resilient pro ect1ons or tongues 318 15 proot' the male member 318 close to the crown ot the tooth 15. Each tongue 318 frictionally contacts the side walls of the abutting tooth when the bridgework 311 is in mounted position.

Since the crowns of the natural teeth are furthest removed from the pulps and have the greatest amount of least vital material which may be cut away to invest the improved bridgework, while the cervices of said teeth are nearer the pulps and have the least material available for cutting away, wing lugs 418 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and female socket member 419 shown'in Fig. 13 may be proportioned to conform to these conditions. Thereforethe upper or Wider ends 418 and 419 of said lug and socket with the portions of the natural teeth nearest the crowns are made thicker thanthe opposite narrow lug and socket ends, 418 and 419 respectively, that is the lugs 418 are tapered in both lengthwise and widthwise. '.hus a relative shallow attachment is provided for the bridgework in which the thick, wide, upper ends 418 provide substantial supports that avoid as much as, possible the mutilation of structure of the natural teeth surrounding the most vital parts thereof thereby eliminating the requirement to devitalize said parts or cause possible ill effects to such normally sensitive parts.

It should be noted that in each of the constructions described above and shown in the drawing, the attachments are interconnected with the natural teeth adjacent a crown and the saddle is seated on the gums thereby providing a slight resiliency for the bridgework to permit it to respond to vibrations as well as masticatory forces in the same manner as the natural teeth so that the patient enjoys the greatest degreeof comfort in using the im proved bridgework,

The improved removable bridgework conrespectively, which aligns 'sition comprising detachable acutely tapered structions embodying this invention is thus seen to require no more than ordinary dental skill in the investment thereof because of the simplicity of the attachment members and the conservation of the naturalteeth structures.

Where the improved attachments are provided as an article of manufacture for incorporation in the various bridgework constructions, said attachments must ordinarily be supplied in many sizes or forms as required, depending on the kind of abutting teeth and the particular construction of the bridgework. To overcome the disadvantage of manufacturing many sizes of attachments the male and female members 518 and 519, respectively, may be constructed shown in Fig. 14, selected portions of said attachments being cut and used for any given type of bridgework. Thus if portions are cut between the parallel dotted lines XX, the attachments corresponding to those shown in Figs. 11 and 12 are formed. It larger finished attachments are required said members may be cut close to the wide ends 518 and 519 as indicated be tween the dot and dash lines Y-Y.

ltwill thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various other possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth as shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

.Having thus described our invention we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An attachment for supporting and re taining removable dental bridgework in pointerlocking members, lar shape and forming a flat-sided socket lenghtwise and of rectangular cross-section, said member being adapted to be embedded in an abutting natural tooth with the widest and deepest end of the member positioned in the crown of the tooth and the pointed thin end extending toward the tooth cervix to avoid excessive mutilation of the tooth structure and to eliminate possible ill eliects to sensitive parts of the tooth.

2. As an article of manufacture, attachments for removable dental bridgework comprising intcrconnectible members of varying cross section, and acutely tapered portions of said members being selectable for use, the remaining portions being adapted to be cut away. as and for the purpose described and specified.

3. An attachment means for supporting and retaining removable dental bridgework, comprising male and female members, the

one 01 said members being trianguof the shank, and a spring tongue extending from said shank spaced from said lug adapted to 'irictinnally engage a surface portion of a tooth abutting the bridgework.

In an attachment means for supporting aini retainirgr renam ahle dental hridgework, a tapered shay k and triangular shaped wing lug terminating one end of the Shank.

In testimony whereof We affix our signaturns.

E DVAR D KI) LLN E R. YVALTER M. GOLDVYN. 

